There is a creeping malaise. It is not just an LA, or even mega cities thing.
Last night, my wife and I went to a gig in our capital city, Bern. Candy Dulfer, and Sheila E in Purple Jam, a tribute to Prince!
We went by train; that service does work. Still. Unlike across the border in Germany, where the terms reliability and depdendability will forever more no longer appear in the same sentence as Germany. In Bern we decided to walk the 10 minutes from the station to the club. It was not dark yet.
Within 500m of the station we passed a really run down, graffitied building, with lots of folk hanging around who looked like druggies or dealers. We both quickly realised we were taking the bus back to the station after the gig.
We also have a very general imported crime problem. Lots of immigrants trying to be taken in as asylum seekers. Crime is part of their life and nothing to lose - money, 3 square, colour TV and internet whether we put them in jail or not.
Which gets me to the things on Rocco's mind as the thinks Spain and has his Urban Planner hat on. Our cities need to work on making every neighbourhood so hospitable that you both want to walk around and can walk around, at any time of day, whatever age you are.
It's definitely like this in Spain. No matter the time you feel safe. Felt the same way in Paris and Rome. In large part because there are always people around - out and about. The way they design is a big reason why. Jane Jacobs - "The eyes on the street."
There is a creeping malaise. It is not just an LA, or even mega cities thing.
Last night, my wife and I went to a gig in our capital city, Bern. Candy Dulfer, and Sheila E in Purple Jam, a tribute to Prince!
We went by train; that service does work. Still. Unlike across the border in Germany, where the terms reliability and depdendability will forever more no longer appear in the same sentence as Germany. In Bern we decided to walk the 10 minutes from the station to the club. It was not dark yet.
Within 500m of the station we passed a really run down, graffitied building, with lots of folk hanging around who looked like druggies or dealers. We both quickly realised we were taking the bus back to the station after the gig.
We also have a very general imported crime problem. Lots of immigrants trying to be taken in as asylum seekers. Crime is part of their life and nothing to lose - money, 3 square, colour TV and internet whether we put them in jail or not.
Which gets me to the things on Rocco's mind as the thinks Spain and has his Urban Planner hat on. Our cities need to work on making every neighbourhood so hospitable that you both want to walk around and can walk around, at any time of day, whatever age you are.
It's definitely like this in Spain. No matter the time you feel safe. Felt the same way in Paris and Rome. In large part because there are always people around - out and about. The way they design is a big reason why. Jane Jacobs - "The eyes on the street."